Let’s explore the saying ‘speak of the devil’ together, understanding its meaning, origins, and real-life examples.
Meaning of the Idiom
The idiom ‘speak of the devil’ is used when someone appears just after being mentioned. It is often used humorously or as an expression of surprise when the person being talked about unexpectedly shows up. The phrase implies a superstitious belief that talking about someone, especially in a negative context, might summon them. However, it is commonly used in a light-hearted manner and is not meant to be taken literally.
Origin of the Idiom
The origin of the phrase ‘speak of the devil’ is believed to come from an older version of the expression: “Speak of the devil and he doth appear,” which dates back to at least the 16th century. The superstition behind the phrase suggests that mentioning the devil by name would summon him. Over time, the expression evolved into its current form and is now used more casually to acknowledge the coincidence of someone appearing after being mentioned.
10 Idiom Examples in Everyday Situations
1. “We were just talking about Sarah, and speak of the devil, here she comes.”
2. “I was telling my friend about my neighbor’s noisy dog, and speak of the devil, there he goes barking again.”
3. “I was discussing my coworker’s promotion, and speak of the devil, he walked into the room.”
4. “We were joking about Dave’s habit of always being late, and speak of the devil, he arrived right on cue.”
5. “I mentioned my sister’s upcoming visit, and speak of the devil, she called me just a minute later.”
6. “We were reminiscing about our high school days, and speak of the devil, our old classmate entered the cafe.”
7. “I was talking about the weatherman’s inaccurate forecast, and speak of the devil, he appeared on TV.”
8. “I mentioned the possibility of a raise to my boss, and speak of the devil, she emailed me about a meeting.”
9. “We were discussing the new restaurant in town, and speak of the devil, the owner walked past our table.”
10. “I was telling my friend about my fear of spiders, and speak of the devil, one crawled across the floor.”
5 Quotes Featuring the Idiom
1. “Speak of the devil and he’s sure to appear.” – Unknown
2. “It’s funny how often speak of the devil turns out to be true.” – Unknown
3. “Speak of the devil is just a saying, but sometimes it feels like more than that.” – Unknown
4. “I mentioned her name, and speak of the devil, she called me right away.” – Unknown
5. “Speak of the devil is a reminder to be careful what you say, because you never know who might be listening.” – Unknown
Idioms Starting From Letter S
Each and every letter of the English alphabet has hundreds of idioms. As in this post, we are talking about the idiom beginning with the letter S. There are many other idioms that also start with the ‘S’, which can be useful to you. We have gathered all the S-starting idiomatic expressions on a single page to make it easy for you to find the best and most useful idioms starting with the letter S.
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